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Statistics

Using hospital admissions statistics, Headway has compiled the first dataset on all ABI-related hospital admissions in the UK. These include non-superficial head injuries, strokes, brain tumours, encephalitis, and a variety of additional conditions.

This is the first time a picture of incidence rates for all ABI in the UK has been published, with the figures highlighting a concerning growth in the number of people sustaining injuries to the brain each year.

You can view the key findings of our research below, or visit the statistics resources page to access the full reports and data sets.

Key findings

There were 348,934 UK admissions to hospital with acquired brain injury in 2013-14. That is 566 admissions per 100,000 of the population.

ABI admissions in the UK have increased by 10% since 2005-6.

There were approximately 956 ABI admissions per day to UK hospitals in 2013-14 - or one every 90 seconds.

In 2013-14, there were 162,544 admissions for head injury. That equates to 445 every day, or one every three minutes.

Men are 1.6 times more likely than women to be admitted for head injury. However, female head injury admissions have risen 24% since 2005-6.

In 2013-14, there were 130,551 UK admissions for stroke. That is an increase of 9% since 2005-6 and equates to one every four minutes.

The number of females being admitted to hospitals in the UK with non-superficial head injuries has risen by a shocking 24% since 2005-06, according to new statistics issued by brain injury charity Headway.

While males remain 1.6 times more likely to be admitted for a head injury, the data reveals that women are increasingly at risk and appear to be catching up with their male counterparts.

The statistics also reveal that the number of people admitted to the hospital in the UK with an acquired brain injury (ABI) related diagnosis has increased by 10% since 2005-06.

"Headway's work does provide the clearest picture to date of the pool of people who require support, from short-term advice and information, to long-term inpatient rehabilitation"- Professor Alan Tenant, Emeritus Professor of Rehabilitation Studies, University of Leeds

United Kingdom totals

The table below shows the total admissions for all types of ABI in the UK since 2005. It also gives the % change over this period and the rates, which show the number of admissions per 100,000 of the population.

All ABI: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

Year

Male

Rate

Female

Rate

Unknown

Total

Rate

2005-06

184,776

625

132,370

429

37

317,183

525

2006-07

188,755

634

133,293

429

37

322,085

530

2007-08

188,285

627

134,416

430

32

322,733

526

2008-09

191,368

632

138,646

440

31

330,044

534

2009-10

198,483

653

147,257

468

45

345,785

559

2010-11

199,652

651

148,726

470

30

348,408

559

2011-12

200,650

645

151,289

470

15

351,954

556

2012-13

192,009

613

150,649

465

15

342,673

538

2013-14

194,734

618

154,169

473

31

348,934

544

Change since '05 %

5

-1

16

10

-16

10

4

Further information

You can download the full report and infographic in the related links section for more details.

We have also made the full data tables available for public use. This allows you to see the fine detail of hospital admissions by type of brain injury, age, year and location. This detailed information can be manipulated to your needs, and will support a wide range of brain injury-related needs from funding applications to service planning and campaigning.

Our infographic is an ideal tool for raising awareness of brain injury, designed to give a quick, accessible overview of the key finding of our new statistics. It includes total admission figures by condition and geographical region as well as some of the trends we identified.

Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893.